Nick Kyrgios retirement: What’s next for Aussie firebrand off the court

Nick Kyrgios shocked the tennis world when he said he couldn’t see himself playing singles in Melbourne again. However, here’s why age 29 might be the perfect time for him to pull the pin.

Nick Kyrgios is well advanced on his post-tennis life should his retirement prediction become a reality next year.

The former Wimbledon finalist made the shock admission following his first-round loss to Scotsman Jacob Fearnley, declaring his body was unlikely to allow him to play singles again at the Australian Open.

He will line-up in the doubles with his good mate Thanasi Kokkinakis – their first round start is set to start on Thursday – as the pair try to emulate their victory at the Australian Open in 2022.

But his long-term future will most likely be in the commentary booth where he made an impression while he was on his extended break from the game following wrist surgery.

Nick Kyrgios leaves the court in Melbourne for possibly the last time as a singles player. Picture: Michael Klein

Unless there is a late change of plans Krygios won’t be heard at this year’s Australian Open with Channel 9 happy with its current line-up while ESPN, who the Australian has worked for previously, had indicated before the start of the tournament that he’d be absent for the first slam of the year.

Last year the 29-year-old made major strides with his media profile and drew praise as a pundit and co-commentator for the BBC during its Wimbledon coverage and then for ESPN and the Tennis Channel at the ATP Finals.

He also launched his own video podcast series entitled Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios with guests including actor Matthew McConaughey and chef Gordon Ramsay.

In many ways Kyrgios is the perfect mix for commentary given his tennis IQ is off the charts to the point where players were directly messaging him while he was on the sidelines asking for advice on their opponents.

And then there are his outspoken tendencies which networks and viewers love.

Kyrgios is not afraid to say what he feels and in recent months that has been obvious in his social media outbursts dedicated to the anti-doping breaches by world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek.

There is also no lack of endorsement opportunities with his management deliberating steering away from the standard blue-chip approach of watchmakers and car manufacturers.

Instead Krygios pushes the boundaries like signing a deal with online subscription service OnlyFans and last year he also partnered with international juice bar chain Joe and the Juice.

There is no doubt when the curtain comes down on Kyrgios’ playing career, whether that is next year, we will still be hearing a lot from one of Australia’s most polarising sporting figures.

While many would say he wasted the opportunity to be one of the world’s best earlier in his career, Kyrgios says he has no regrets.

“No regrets. I’ve had an amazing -- my journey is not over – but I’ve had an amazing journey. My career’s been amazing. I don’t have any regrets,” he said on Monday night after the opening round loss.

“I think everything has been a learning curve for me. I continue to try and have fun, just be real, and enjoy the ride. But I think it would be selfish for me to say that I want more, I want more. I’ve had a lot of success. More than most athletes would have.”

Originally published as Nick Kyrgios retirement: What’s next for Aussie firebrand off the court